I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guard rail assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a guard rail assembly having a polymerized sheath extending about the rails of the assembly and further including a gasket or seal seated between the polymerized sheathing to prevent foreign objects such as food or metal shavings from collecting between the polymerized sheaths. The guard rail assembly of the present invention may also be used as a gate pivotable about itself to allow access to the guarded area.
II. Description of the Relevant Art
Typically, guard rail assemblies are often formed of metal bars having horizontal and vertical rails permanently affixed to each other to create a guard rail. A disadvantage of these previously known structures is that the metal rail may rust from being exposed to the environment. A further disadvantage of a metal rail is that any damage done to the rail, such as bending or puncturing the rod by a collision with a vehicle, for instance, will cause irreparable damage to the guard rail assembly. The whole assembly must then be replaced or repainted to prevent the metal from rusting.
A still further disadvantage of these previously known guard rail assemblies is that the assembly is not antiseptic and may accumulate bacteria and germs from the environment. As such these guard rail assemblies are generally unsafe for use in a factory handling food or food stuffs for human consumption.
A still further disadvantage of these previously known guard rail assemblies is that once assembled the guard rail is a permanent fixture. Therefore, the guard rail does not permit access to the interior area that is being guarded.